Makeovers

A Desk for Generations

Sentimental furniture makes me so happy.  It is such an honor to be a part of keeping a piece of furniture beautiful and useful for a family.

A client recently asked me to refinish her father’s desk so that her daughter could use it.  It has the original built-in leather desk pads on top and the hardware is in beautiful shape.  There were some repairs to the veneer that needed to be made, but structurally it is a very sound desk.  She asked that I paint it a gloss white to suit her daughter’s taste.

Dark mahogany stained desk

Painting furniture white can be very challenging because the tannins in the original stain have a tendency to bleed through the paint—no matter how many coats you apply.  Anticipating this, I sealed the piece before I started painting, but found that there was still some bleed-through.  In the end, the desk was sealed twice, primed twice, and then painted with 3 coats of gloss white paint.  Finally, I applied a topcoat for durability.

The contrast of the original leather pads and the gloss white paint was stark, but the hardware pulled the entire aesthetic together.  It created just the visual balance that the desk needed, providing a nod to its original character.

Gloss white desk

My client was very pleased with the new look, and I am so grateful that a piece of family history lives on.

 

Hold My Wine, I’ve Got This…

Amy

Spread the love

Leave a Reply